I leave the pub and head over to Chapel Market which is just off of Liverpool Road. Chapel Market is a traditional market selling fresh fish, fruit & vegetables, household goods, bric a brac and clothes all at very good prices. The majority of stallholders and shoppers are local people and it made a nice change from the Foodie markets that seem to have taken over traditional markets with their overpriced 'Street Food'. Aside from the market stalls there are countless shops, cafes, restaurants and pubs that reflect the different people living in the area. Although the market is quite long stalls tend to only go about halfway along. One place at the far end that caught my attention was an all you can eat vegetarian southern Indian restaurant , definitely one to check out for the future.
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I come out on to Islington High Street and I feel I am back in London after the tranquility of the Regents Canal and the more relaxed and laid back vibe of both Columbia Road and Broadway Market. Its busy, lots of people, everybody going somewhere and in a hurry. Something that I had not been aware of, or even given any thought to, until I decided on this blog , and it applies to other properties on the monopoly board, is that Angel Islington doesn't exist as a road or a place. There area is called Angel and was named after the Angel Inn which was on the corner of Islington High Street and Pentonville Road. As I came onto the high street I saw a pub on my left, The York and decided to pop in for a pint. Apparently it is famous in the area for its cask ales and premium gins and it also serves breakfasts and seasonal pub food. Price wise it was better than average for London. A decent locals pub.
It wasn't until I arrived at Broadway Market that I realized that the Regents Canal ran adjacent to it, so had not factored it in to my journey. I new from previous walks along the canal that it went through Islington, however I had only previously walked it from the Little Venice to the west side of the Islington tunnel where you have to leave the tow path as you are not allowed to walk through the tunnel. So this was a happy find and made for a pleasant last leg of the journey. After the hustle and bustle walking through the main roads and side streets of London, not always sure where I was going it made a nice relaxing change just knowing eventually I would come to the end. Some parts of the canal are quite picturesque, others what you would expect from a canal through a large city. All along the canal their are people living in barges, some selling things, others doing bicycle repairs. All in all it was a pleasant walk. No idea how long it took me, inside an hour I would think. I finally arrived at the exit for Angel (Islington) as the area is known, and within 5 minutes Angel tube station was in sight.
I first heard about Broadway Market from Roberts London youtube channel and thought why not have a look sometime when I am over in East London, which on this day I was. From Columbia Road it was about a 20 minute walk, and to be honest there was not much of interest to write about. I wasn't that sure of the route, just the rough direction and as it turned out it was well signposted. One thing of interest was Hackney City Farm, however I didn't go in. I arrived at the southern end of the Market where the Regents Canal runs under the bridge. And yet again I had failed to do my research as there were no market stalls! Market only runs on a Saturday. Another one for the bucket list. First thing you notice is the Market Tavern on the corner opposite the Regents Canal I popped in for a pint. Nice light airy pub but expensive considering this is Hackney, gentrification or not. Was a decent pint though. I headed down the road passing various shops, pubs and cafes and then back up on the other side. Unlike Columbia Road there is something for everybody here and it was a lot more lively. I stopped for Pie and Mash at F. Cooke They were actually closed due to filming but as I saw a couple of guys eating I popped my head in and asked if they were open. They were but shutting in 20 minutes. I had the pie, mash & liquor. Pie was not as good as Goddards in Greenwich but the mash was and a much bigger portion and the liquor was amazing, thick and flavorsome. Now for those that have never had London Pie & Mash don't get your hopes up to high, its not fine dinning, but neither is the cost. I paid £4, its tasty filling food and homemade. Broadway Market has been in numerous films and TV series over the years, most notably the Barbershop featured in David Cronenberg's 2007 film Eastern Promises, scenes in 1947's Odd Man Out, the opening scenes of 1988's Buster starring Phil Collins and more recently ITV's The Bill -Cry Wolf. I headed out, crossed the road and joined the Regents Canal towards Angel.
From Arnold Circus it was no more than a ten minute walk to Columbia Road. It's a row of Victorian shops off Hackney Road that has a well known flower market which has been trading in its present form on a Sunday since at least the 1960's. However a covered food market with up to 400 stalls was established in 1869 and operated until 1886. As far as I can tell there had been an outdoor market that sold food, among other things, up until world war 2 when rations put paid to that. So quite possibly there has been a flower market there since then. Unfortunately I had not realized that the market only ran on a Sunday, so rocking up on a Wednesday or Thursday afternoon I was left a little disappointed. There is a mixture of independently run shops, cafes, restaurants & pubs which seem to cater for the more gentrified demographic. It was very quiet, and seeing as the road is quite short I headed off towards Broadway Market. However I will return in the near future on a Sunday. Apparently it gets very crowded late morning so worth getting there as early as possible.
http://www.columbiaroad.info/ I turn left out Brick Lane and walk along Bethnal Green Road , passing a Brewdog Bar before spotting Allpress Espresso Bar, which is situated on the corner of Redchurch Street. I had previously learned of it when googling best coffee/roasters in London, so decided to pop in for a coffee and it didn't disappoint, a strong smooth full body Americano/long black. Recommended. https://uk.allpressespresso.com/ I leave and cross over and continue along Club Row, which is in an area that was known over a hundred years ago as Old Nichol and there is still an Old Nichol Street. A short distance up the road I arrive at Arnold Circus which has a bandstand in the middle Arnold Circus is in the center of the Boundary Estate which was built around 1900 and is arguably the worlds oldest council estate. Tenement buildings radiate from the circus and each is named after a location on the Thames. The Bandstand is a grade 2 listed building.
I continue my journey along Whitechapel Road towards Aldgate passing the East London Mosque and turn right into Osborne Street which becomes Brick Lane. As you walk down you are surrounded by Bangladeshi restaurants all offering deals. Part of the area was at one time, and maybe still is, known as Bangla town and is evident from some of the street signs written in Bangladeshi as well as English. And its just here that I encounter my first Jack the Ripper walking tour which I have been led to believe are quite popular, although this was the first time I had seen one. Halfway down the road things begin to change. Here there are lots of independent vintage clothes shops, foodie food shops, retro shops etc. Also there is Backyard market located in The Old Truman Brewery http://www.backyardmarket.co.uk/ and Vegan Nights a vegan bar/cafe/performance venue with nice arty outdoor seating area. There is also another market on the opposite side of the road with a bar and lots of stalls selling much the same as the rest of the road. One of the other things you can't help but notice is the Graffiti art in the area and there are apparently graffiti walking tours, something that I may look into in the future. As I get towards the end of the road there are a couple of bagel bakeries. Back in the day the area was famous for bagels, now just a couple remain, one of which is 24 hour and very popular. They do a range of sweet and savory with salt beef being one of the most popular.
The bottom of Brick Lane joins Bethnal Green Road, along the road on the left is Shoreditch station and Boxpark a two storey shopping and eating experience created out of shipping containers. Well worth a look. https://www.boxpark.co.uk/shoreditch/ This turned out to be a long scenic route as opposed to a reasonably direct route. Reason being there were a couple of markets that I wanted to visit that were fairly close, one of which would take me to a section of the Regents Canal which I wanted to walk and in turn would take me to Angel Islington, which is an area of Islington and the name of the tube station. Also it would take me through Brick Lane, a historic and vibrant road in East London which I have visited a few times over the years and enjoy. So I went via Brick Lane, Arnold Circus, Columbia Road, Broadway Market and then a walk along the Regents Canal taking me to my next 'property' Angel Islington.
So after Whitechapel comes Kings Cross station. Now originally I wanted to visit each property in the order that they appear on the board, but seeing as the station is on the eastern end of Euston Road, second of the light blue properties, next to the junction with Pentonville Road the third of the light blue properties, Grays End Road and York Way, with the Angel Islington the first of the light blue properties at the end of Pentonville Road I decided against that idea
One of the things I did forget to mention was that I don't actually live in London and that part of my reason for doing the blog was that I wanted to visit London more and then it seemed an idea to do a blog, sort of end justifies the mean kind of thing. As a child we played monopoly and this along with almost yearly visits gave me an interest and fascination with London. With regards to the blog and the monopoly connection I had thought often about visiting all the properties on the board, a few I did as a child, but as an adult it is another perspective. Another influence for me was after reading Walk the Line by Mark Mason who walks the entire London underground system but overground, passing each station. The book is fascinating as well as entertaining, pointing out many places of interest, some history and other people he meets take and experience on London. I would definitely recommend reading this book, its currently become my Bible, I'm reading it for the third time! Another thing I would like to mention is The Fudge Patch at Greenwich market. For me they make the best fudge that I have eaten. All the fudge is made daily in the shop. All is vegan. I don't think they had intended to create a 100% vegan fudge brand, more that it happened whilst trying to make the best, tastiest fudge they could. The one thing you notice, especially after you chat with them, is how flavorsome it is without the typical overpowering fudge flavor. www.thefudgepatch.co.uk [email protected] |
AuthorLouis Mogg. Archives
March 2020
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